Press releases

Experts have urged governments, business and investors to act faster and think bigger in fighting climate change and promoting sustainable development – and they name finance, human rights and sustainable landscapes as the necessary artillery.

A new book released today details real-world stories of efforts to reduce carbon emissions in tropical forest countries, a leading option for slowing climate change now under discussion at the UN climate talks in Lima.

Ecological restoration efforts in Colombia in recent years — despite numerous flaws in design, implementation and monitoring — have nevertheless built a critical mass of experiences and expertise that have placed the country at the forefront of this growing trend in Latin America, according to a new publication launched by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).

The world’s top climate scientist told an international conference today that tackling climate change is an opportunity, not a burden, and a leading financier said there is plenty of money to fund sustainable development.

An incentive program to reduce carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation — known by the acronym REDD+ — risks losing momentum over issues of land tenure and economic viability, a new study indicates. The challenges are surmountable, researchers say, adding that a binding international climate agreement could go a long way in bolstering the REDD+ program’s prospects for mitigating climate change.

A Brazilian program that rewards families for conserving forests shows promise for reducing deforestation and helping small farmers improve their livelihoods, a new study co-sponsored by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) shows.

Forests play a crucial role in sustaining people’s incomes — but to what extent? Until now, development actions related to forests and livelihoods have been based on incomplete or fragmented data. In many cases, forestry has been combined with agriculture in national income statistics — or not counted at all.

Media are invited to use a video and text of a story, “Martyr of the Amazon: The legacy of Chico Mendes,” a look back at the activist’s life and the outsize influence his work continues to have for the betterment of the Amazon rainforests of his homeland and the people who live in them.